Sunday, July 10, 2016

Parable of The Good Samaritan

Today’s
Gospel: Luke 10:25-37 (Parable of The Good Samaritan)“And
behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what
shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written
in the law? How do you read?" And he answered, "You shall love the
Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he
said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." But
he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he
fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him
half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him
he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place
and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed,
came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him
and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own
beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took
out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, `Take care of him; and
whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these
three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the
robbers?" He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus
said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Reflection:This
is a hard reflection to write about today without expressing the personal pain
we have endured while many friends and family members watched, passed by and
did absolutely nothing just like you read in today’s scripture. It took less
than a handful of God’s elite “Good Samaritans” to really care and those few,
were never asked to help, never asked to do what they did, they just did it. Jesus
has taught us so much about love and so much about how we express that love by
putting others first. If it was Jesus, you saw suffering or a Priest or a Nun
what would you do… in comparison to say your neighbor? Would there be a
difference in what your approach would be? I know certain people personally who
have done this. Yes, I do. I won’t even get into the conversation this one
person started for justification. It only saddens our hearts and our table
remained empty of food. Our family remained hungry that week.

True compassion comes from a
heart that is big enough to reach out too many, not only to the select few with
specific titles or names. We see it our Justice system, if you have the right
name, everyone makes sure you are properly taken care of (legal or illegal) whether
you deserve it or not; while others get treated to another set of standards. Well
that’s unfair and that’s not justice. Well in Compassion it’s all based on love.
Why do some people get the help and love and understanding they need while
others get kicked to the curb? Forgotten? Discarded? I haven’t a clue. How do
the people who get walked past feel? Sad! Unworthy! Worthless! If you have been
there, you know exactly what I am saying. So what do we learn from today’s
gospel?

We need to be more compassionate
towards others (everyone), no matter who they are. Most especially if they are
your flesh and blood family (parents,
grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles). What a travesty it is that
your own family members go hungry, suffers with the possibility of being
homeless; struggle with paying basis bills for heat, insurance, etc. and you
live your life like they don’t even exist on the planet. OPEN YOUR EYES and
even more than that OPEN YOUR HEARTS and see what you can do for those family
members. Call them. Ask to visit. Don’t just drop in, many are ashamed of their
situation. Let them know they are loved. They feel hurt, pushed away and
forgotten. Their pain runs deep. We can’t let this happen. Simple phone calls
of comfort, postings for prayer, hand written cards/letters of love (don’t use
a computer generated letter that’s cold). Acknowledge them, saying nothing is
Horrible!!! Silence speaks volumes of this sentiment, like: “I DON’T CARE ABOUT
YOU !!!” Step to the plate, love them… forgiveness awaits you. Be strong and be
there for one another as God so desires us to be.